Train stations in Aachen

Aachen Hbf is the station for the old town and the only Aachen station with long-distance trains. The cathedral is a 15 to 20-minute walk away.

Arriving at Aachen Hbf

Aachen Hbf sits on the main line from Cologne to Liège and Brussels. ICE, Eurostar, the Nightjet and European Sleeper night trains and the regional lines to Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Mönchengladbach all stop here, and it is also the departure point for regional trains into the Netherlands and Belgium. Elevators serve all platforms, and the station has luggage lockers, a taxi rank and a DB Reisezentrum.

Getting from the station into the centre

Walking from Aachen Hbf to the cathedral and Centre Charlemagne, next to the town hall, takes 15 to 20 minutes. Buses 11, 14, 21, 44 and SB 63 run to the Elisenbrunnen stop, which is a five-minute walk from there. A single ASEAG ticket within Aachen costs €4 and is valid for 90 minutes, changes included (fares from 1 June 2026). ASEAG sells tickets in its apps and at ticket machines.

Trains from Aachen Hbf

Cologne is the main connection. ICE trains leave about every two hours and take 38 minutes, and most continue to Frankfurt Flughafen and Frankfurt Hbf. Regional trains on the RE 1 and RE 9 take about 50 minutes to Cologne Hbf. The RE 1 goes on to Düsseldorf and Dortmund, and the RE 4 reaches Düsseldorf in about 1 hour 20 minutes.

Brussels is reached by ICE about every two hours, calling at Liège-Guillemins and taking about 1 hour 15 minutes. Up to seven Eurostars a day also run to Liège-Guillemins, Brussels Midi and Paris Nord, about 1 hour 15 minutes to Brussels and about 2 hours 45 minutes to Paris, though not every service runs every day. Two other ICE trains a day run via Liège-Guillemins and Leuven to Brussels Airport and Antwerpen Centraal. These times are for the timetable valid until 12 December 2026.

For Liège, the quickest regional link is the SNCB S41, which leaves Aachen Hbf once an hour and reaches Liège-Guillemins via Welkenraedt and Verviers in about 1 hour. The RE 18 Drielandentrein runs twice an hour to Maastricht in about 55 minutes, calling at Aachen West, Herzogenrath and Heerlen; one of the two continues to Liège-Guillemins, which takes about 1 hour 35 minutes.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays a Nightjet leaves Aachen Hbf at 21:10 for Cologne, Munich and Vienna, arriving in Vienna at 10:13. The return Nightjet from Vienna and Munich calls at Aachen Hbf at 08:09 on the same days and goes on to Liège and Brussels Midi (09:59).

European Sleeper also stops at Aachen Hbf on its Brussels to Milan night train, leaving at about 21:15 on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays for Cologne, Zurich and Lugano, arriving in Milan at about 11:40. It calls at Aachen until 12 December 2026; from 13 December it runs via Antwerp and Eindhoven instead.

The other three stations

None of the long-distance trains stop at Aachen Schanz, Aachen West or Aachen-Rothe Erde. Aachen Schanz is the first stop west of Aachen Hbf on the RB 20, RB 33 and RE 4; the cathedral is also about 15 minutes' walk from Schanz, so coming from Mönchengladbach or Düsseldorf on those lines you can get off there. Aachen West is the stop for the RWTH university, with the RB 20, RB 33, RE 4 and RE 18 calling there. Aachen-Rothe Erde, in the east of the city, is the first stop east of Aachen Hbf on the RE 1, RE 9 and RB 20; stay on to Aachen Hbf for the centre.

Tickets

The Deutschlandticket costs €63 a month and is valid on regional trains, S-Bahn, local buses and trams across Germany, including in Aachen. It is not valid on ICE, IC, EC, Eurostar or the night trains. For a day trip across the border, the Euregioticket costs €23.50 and covers trains, buses and trams in the whole Meuse-Rhine region; at weekends and on national holidays it covers up to two adults and three children under 12.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, regional trains and the S-Bahn need no reservation with an Interrail pass, and an ICE reservation is optional between Aachen and Brussels or Cologne. Eurostar needs a reservation: €27 in second class between Belgium and Germany, and €32 between Paris and Germany. Night trains always need one: European Sleeper is included in the pass, with a seat reservation costing €11 to €21, and Nightjet fees start at €4.90 for a seat and €19.90 for a six-bed couchette.

Common mistakes

Regional trains from Cologne stop at Aachen-Rothe Erde before Aachen Hbf, so stay on for the old town. The Maastricht and Liège trains also stop at Aachen West, which is only useful for the RWTH university. Eurostar, Nightjet and European Sleeper do not run every day: the Nightjet calls on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only.